EXTENSION
OF LOCKDOWN FOR A FURTHER PERIOD OF TWO WEEKS WITH EFFECT FROM MAY 4, 2020

Posted On: 01 MAY
2020 6:33PM by PIB Delhi

After a comprehensive review, and in view of the Lockdown
measures having led to significant gains in the COVID-19 situation in the
country, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India (GoI) issued an
Order under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, today, to further extend the
Lockdown for a further period of 2 weeks with effect from May 4, 2020.
MHA also issued new guidelines to regulate different activities in
this period, based on the risk profiling of the districts of the country into
Red (hotspot), Green and Orange Zones. The guidelines have permitted considerable
relaxations in the districts falling in the Green and Orange Zones.

The criteria for identification of districts as Red, Green and
Orange Zones have been spelt out in detail in the letter dated April 30, 2020,
issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), GoI. The Green
Zones will be districts with either zero confirmed cases till date; or, no
confirmed case in the last 21 days. The classification of districts as
Red Zones will take into account the total number of active cases, doubling
rate of confirmed cases, extent of testing and surveillance feedback from the
districts. Those districts, which are neither defined as Red nor Green, shall
be classified as Orange zones. The classification of districts into Red, Green
and Orange Zones will be shared by MoHFW with the States and Union Territories
(UTs) on a weekly basis, or earlier, as required. While States and UTs can
include additional districts as Red and Orange Zones, they may not lower the
classification of a district included by MoHFW in the list of Red or Orange
Zones.

A number of districts of the country have, within their
boundaries, one or more Municipal Corporations (MCs). It has been
observed that due to higher population density within the MCs, and consequent
greater inter-mixing of people, the incidence of COVID-19 within the boundary
of the MC(s) is higher than in the rest of the district. In the new
guidelines, therefore, it has been provided that such districts will be
classified into two Zones, i.e., one Zone for the area under the boundary of
the MC(s); and, another for the area falling outside the boundary of the
MC(s). If the area outside the boundary of the MC(s) has reported no case
for the last 21 days, it will be allowed to be classified as one stage lower
than the overall classification of the district as either Red or Orange.
Hence, this area will be classified as Orange, in case the district is overall
Red; or as Green, in case the district is overall Orange. This
classification will enable more economic and other activities in that area of
the district, which is relatively less affected by the incidence of COVID-19,
while also ensuring that due caution continues to be exercised so that these
areas remain free from COVID-19 cases. This dispensation has been made
only in respect of districts having Municipal Corporation (s).

The most sensitive areas of the country, from the spread of
COVID-19 point of view, and falling within the Red and Orange Zones, are
designated as Containment Zones. These are areas where there is significant
risk of spread of the infection. The containment areas would be defined
by respective District Administrations, taking into account the total number of
active cases, their geographical spread, and the need to have well demarcated
perimeters from the enforcement point of view. The local authority shall
ensure 100% coverage of Aarogya
Setu app among the residents of the Containment Zone.
Containment Zones would have intensified surveillance protocols, with contact
tracing, house to house surveillance, home/ institutional quarantining of
persons based on their risk assessment, and clinical management. Strict
perimeter control would need to be ensured, so that there is no movement of
people in and out of these Zones, except for medical emergencies, and for
maintaining supply of essential goods and services. No other activity is
permitted within the Containment Zones.

Under the new guidelines, a limited number of activities will
remain prohibited throughout the country, irrespective of the Zone. These
include travel by air, rail, metro and inter-State movement by road; running of
schools, colleges, and other educational and training/ coaching institutions;
hospitality services, including hotels and restaurants; places of large public
gatherings, such as cinema halls, malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes
etc; social, political, cultural and other kinds of gatherings; and,
religious places/ places of worship for public. However, movement of
persons by air, rail and road is allowed for select purposes, and for purposes
as permitted by MHA.

The new guidelines also prescribe certain measures for well
being and safety of persons. Hence, movement of individuals, for all
non-essential activities, shall remain strictly prohibited between 7 pm to 7
am. Local authorities shall issue orders under appropriate provisions of
law, such as prohibitory orders [curfew] under Section 144 of CrPC, for this
purpose, and ensure strict compliance. In all zones, persons above 65
years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women, and children below
the age of 10 years, shall stay at home, except for meeting essential
requirements and for health purposes. Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) and
Medical clinics shall be permitted to operate in Red, Orange and Green Zones, with
social distancing norms and other safety precautions; however, these will not
be permitted within the Containment Zones.

In the Red Zones, outside the Containment Zones, certain
activities are prohibited in addition to those prohibited throughout the country.
These are: plying of cycle rickshaws and auto rickshaws; running of taxis
and cab aggregators; intra-district and inter-district plying of buses; and,
barber shops, spas and saloons.

Certain other activities have been allowed in the Red Zones with
restrictions. Movement of individuals and vehicles is allowed only for
permitted activities, with a maximum of 2 persons (besides the driver) in
four-wheeler vehicles, and with no pillion rider in the case of
two-wheelers. Industrial establishments in urban areas, viz., Special
Economic Zones (SEZs), Export Oriented Units (EOUs), industrial estates and
industrial townships with access control have been permitted. The other
industrial activities permitted are manufacturing units of essential goods,
including drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, their raw material and
intermediates; production units, which require continuous process, and their
supply chain; manufacturing of IT hardware; jute industry with staggered shifts
and social distancing; and, manufacturing units of packaging material.
Construction activities in urban areas have been limited to in-situ
construction (where workers are available on site and no workers are required
to be brought in from outside) and construction of renewable energy projects.
Shops in urban areas, for non-essential goods, are not allowed in malls,
markets and market complexes. However, all standalone (single) shops,
neighborhood (colony) shops and shops in residential complexes are permitted to
remain open in urban areas, without any distinction of essential and
non-essential. E-Commerce activities, in the Red Zones, are permitted
only in respect of essential goods. Private offices can operate with upto
33% strength as per requirement, with the remaining persons working from
home. All Government offices shall function with senior officers of the
level of Deputy Secretary and above at full strength, and the remaining staff
attending upto 33% as per requirement. However, Defense and Security
services, Health and Family Welfare, Police, Prisons, Home Guards, Civil
Defence, Fire and Emergency Services, Disaster management and related services,
National Informatics Centre (NIC), Customs, Food Corporation of India (FCI),
National Cadet Corps (NCC), Nehru Yuvak Kendra (NYK) and Municipal services
shall function without any restrictions; delivery of public services shall be
ensured and necessary staff will be deployed for such purpose.

A large number of other activities are allowed in the Red Zones.
All industrial and construction activities in rural areas, including MNREGA
works, food-processing units and brick-kilns are permitted; besides, in rural
areas, without distinction to the nature of goods, all shops, except in
shopping malls are permitted. All agriculture activities, e.g., sowing,
harvesting, procurement and marketing operations in the agricultural supply
chain are permitted. Animal husbandry activities are fully permitted,
including inland and marine fisheries. All plantation activities are
allowed, including their processing and marketing. All health services
(including AYUSH) are to remain functional, including transport of medical
personnel and patients through air ambulances. A large part of the
financial sector remains open, which includes banks, non-banking finance
companies (NBFCs), insurance and capital market activities, and credit
co-operative societies. Operation of homes for children, senior citizens,
destitutes, women and widows etc.; and operation of Anganwadis has also been
permitted. Public utilities, e.g., utilities in power, water, sanitation,
waste management, telecommunications and internet will remain open, and courier
and postal services will be allowed to operate.

Most of the commercial and private establishments have been
allowed in the Red Zones. These include print and electronic media, IT and IT
enabled services, data and call centres, cold storage and warehousing services,
private security and facility management services, and services provided by
self-employed persons, except for barbers etc., as mentioned earlier.
Manufacturing units of essential goods, including drugs, pharmaceuticals,
medical devices, their raw material and intermediates; production units, which
require continuous process, and their supply chain; Jute industry with staggered
shifts and social distancing; and manufacturing of IT hardware and
manufacturing units of packaging material will continue to be permitted.

In the Orange Zones, in addition to activities permitted in Red
Zone, taxis and cab aggregators will be permitted with 1 driver and 2
passengers only. Inter-district movement of individuals and vehicles will be
allowed for permitted activities only. Four wheeler vehicles will have maximum
two passengers besides the driver and pillion riding will be allowed on two-wheelers.

In the Green Zones, all activities are permitted except the
limited number of activities which are prohibited throughout the country,
irrespective of the Zone. However buses can operate with upto 50% seating
capacity and bus depots can operate with upto 50% capacity.

All goods traffic is to be permitted. No State/ UT shall
stop the movement of cargo for cross land-border trade under Treaties with
neighbouring countries. No separate pass of any sort is needed for such
movement, which is essential for maintaining the supply chain of goods and
services across the country during the lockdown period.

All other activities will be permitted activities, which are not
specifically prohibited, or which are permitted with restrictions in the
various Zones, under these guidelines. However, States/ UTs, based on
their assessment of the situation, and with the primary objective of keeping
the spread of COVID-19 in check, may allow only select activities from out of
the permitted activities, with such restrictions as felt necessary.

No separate/ fresh permissions will be required from authorities
for activities already permitted to operate under the guidelines on Lockdown
measures up to May 3, 2020. The Standard Operating Protocols (SOPs) issued by
MHA will continue to operate such as transit arrangement for foreign
national(s) in India; release of quarantine persons; movement of stranded
labour within States/ UTs; sign-on and sign-off of Indian seafarers, movement
of stranded migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons by
road and rail.

State/ UT Governments are mandated to strictly enforce the
lockdown guidelines and they shall not dilute these guidelines issued under the
Disaster Management Act, 2005, in any manner.